This invention relates in general to hardware for use with straps or belts and, more particularly, to a clasp for securing a free end of an adjustable length strap.
Straps of the type used on golf bags, back packs and similar articles, are usually adjustable so that their length can be changed to the desired size or personal preference of the person carrying or otherwise using the article. Adjustable straps usually have one end fixedly attached to the article such as by use of a D-ring with the other end of the strap being looped through a ladder-lock buckle and laid back upon the main portion of the strap. Adjustment of the overall length of the strap is accomplished by pulling the looped over portion of the strap through the ladder-lock buckle until the desired length of the main portion of the strap is achieved. The ladder-lock buckle can be held in an open position to allow the strap to be freely moved through the buckle and upon being released, the buckle can be moved into a closed position which locks the strap in the desired position. When locked in the desired position, the main and the looped-over portions of the strap are in juxtaposed overlaying relationship with respect to each other and the free end of the looped over portion of the strap is customarily held in place by being attached to the main portion of the strap. Attachment of the looped-over and main portions of the strap to each other is normally accomplished by a buckle, which will hereinafter be referred to as a tie-down buckle. Both the main and looped-over portions of the strap are threadingly passed through the tie-down buckle which frictionally grips both portions of the strap and securely holds them in place. While this commonly used method of securing the looped-over portion of the strap in the juxtaposed position relative to the main portion of the strap accomplishes the purpose for which it is intended, the free end of the looped-over portion of the strap protrudes from the tie-down buckle and this give the strap installation an unfinished appearance and the free end can become tangled with other parts of the article to which the strap is attached or can otherwise interfere with the use of the article. In addition, this prior art method of securely attaching the looped over and main portions of the strap to each other makes it difficult to change the overall length of the strap whenever such a change is desired or needed. With both the main and looped over portions of the strap being held fast by the tie-down buckle, they must be loosened whenever changes in the length of the strap are to be made and sometimes such loosening is not easy due to the bulk of the straps.
In accordance with the present invention, a new and useful clasp is disclosed for securely enclosing the free end of the looped-over portion of an adjustable strap while leaving the looped-over and main portions of the strap free for length adjustment purposes.
The clasp includes a housing having a open passage and a blind compartment in stacked relationship with respect to each other and a hinged lid overlays the blind compartment. Installation of the clasp of the present invention on the adjustable length strap that is to be used on an article such as a golf bag, back pack or the like, is accomplished by suitably affixing one end of the strap to the article in the customary manner and installing the main portion of the strap so that it is disposed and freely slidable in the open passage of the clasp. The other end of the strap is then looped through a ladder-lock buckle which is being held in the open position so that the strap can be pulled through the buckle. When the desired length of the main portion of the strap has been determined, the ladder-lock buckle is moved to the closed position to hold the strap fast against unwanted movements. When adjusted and locked in this manner, the looped-over portion of the strap will be in juxtaposed overlaying relationship with the main portion of the strap and the free end of the looped over portion of the strap is placed in the blind compartment of the clasp and is securely contained therein when the hinged lid is moved into gripping engagement therewith.
In the event that subsequent readjustment of the length of the adjustable strap is needed or desired, movement of the ladder-lock buckle to its open position will allow the strap to be moved freely through the buckle for adjusting the overall length of the strap and such adjustment can be accomplished without disturbing the clasp of the present invention. When the strap is being moved through the ladder-lock buckle, the main portion of the strap will freely move through the open passage of the clasp and thus not interfere with movements of the strap through the ladder-lock buckle. When the new length of the main portion of the strap has been determined and held in that position by closing of the ladder-lock buckle, the clasp can be slidably moved along the main portion of the strap into the new location of the free end of the looped-over portion of the strap.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful clasp for securely enclosing the free end of the looped-over portion of an adjustable length strap while leaving the looped-over and main portions of the strap free for length adjustment purposes.